To Hurt And To Heal
by Sux2budude
Summary: After five years of pain and misery without Puck, he appears back in Quinn's life, on the eve of her wedding. She breaks his heart, and he leaves. When she finally sees him again, what she finds out is more than enough to break every single hope she's ever had for them. They've hurt each other countless times before. Can they heal each other too?... Okay, I suck at summaries.
1. Chapter 1

Title: To Hurt And To Heal

Pairing: Puck/Quinn – & Beth.

Genre: Romance/Angst

Summary: After five years of pain and misery without Puck, he appears back in Quinn's life, on the eve of her wedding. She breaks his heart, and he leaves yet again. When she finally sees him again, what she finds out is more than enough to break every single hope she's ever had for them. They've hurt each other countless times before. Can they heal each other too?... Okay, I suck at summaries, so it's easier to just read so you'll understand what I was trying to explain above. (Rated-T for Language.)

Author's Note: Hello everyone! I have nothing to say except for, "Thank You!" for reading… and Please review! Hope you like this story… I kinda just had an idea and I couldn't resist writing it, and this is what I ended up with, so I decided to post it on FFn. Thanks again!

Important Facts That You SHOULD Know To Understand The Story:

AU.

Quinn and Puck are extremely out of character, so bear with me people…

Shelby never adopted Beth.

Everything after Beth's birth never happened. This is what this first chapter will be explaining.

I know absolutely nothing about adoption agencies, and legal guardians, and traveling without a legal guardian present, or without consent, and I also don't know how anyone from the U.S can travel to Australia without important documents. I'll be skipping all those extremely important stuff and letting the story stay on all the better, more interesting stuff so it won't be so boring. Bear with me on all the false facts and errors. Just please go along with it.

Now, Let us begin!

Chapter One:

"Leave him… be with me." He begs on his knees. If someone told Noah Puckerman six years ago that he would be on his knees someday, begging Quinn Fabray to be with him, he would've either laughed, or punched them in the face. Whichever came first.

Yet here he was, on both his knees, nearly in tears, and begging Quinn to leave Finn, her fiancée, and be with him. He knew he fucked up a lot in the past, but he was tired of doing what everyone thinks he would. This time, he wants to do what he wants. He wants to tell Quinn how much he loves her, and that he wants to be with her. And there's a lot he wants to tell her, but he was never good with words, so he stammers and falters and he doesn't know what else to do.

Quinn would have none of it. She had spent the last five years crying herself to sleep because Puck had suddenly disappeared off the face of the earth, and everyone thought he was dead. His family didn't even know what happened to him. And now, five years later, he shows up on her doorstep, on the day before her wedding with Finn, and he gets down on his knees and begs her to take him back. Quinn at first was so overwhelmed and happy to see him; to know that he's alive and well, set her heart soaring into the skies, and she had wanted nothing more than to hug him and kiss him until she assures herself that this wasn't one of her dreams. The last time she had felt that kind of happiness was when she had held Beth, their baby girl, in her arms for the first time.

Until she gave her up.

She understands that Puck must've been hurting about that because she didn't even give him a choice. She had signed the adoption papers, and left. She didn't want to stand there any longer. Puck was there of course, and she never wanted to have anything to do with the papers. She chose to have a closed adoption, and the people from the adoption agencies agreed to never call her again. She didn't want to be reminded of the pain of giving her beautiful baby girl up. She wanted to find comfort in Puck's arms, but he had other plans. A month after Beth's birth, he disappeared without a trace. No one knew what happened to him, or where he was.

Now he's back in her life.

Quinn's next reaction was guilt. How could she be so happy to see another man, when she was about to get married to another, in a few hours?

Rage. Pure unadaltered anger. That was her last reaction. Who does he think he is? Who gave him the right to show up at my doorstep five years after he broke my heart and vanished without a trace, and then tell me to leave my fiancée and be with him? How dare he think that I'm still hung up on him? Even if I am, he has no right to ask me to do this to Finn.

She slaps him.

She slaps him, and she cries, and screams, and swears, and calls him every name in the book, because he can't do this. He can't just come back and ruin her life. She was finally starting to let him go, and the moment she sees his stupidly handsome face, she realizes without a doubt that he still hasn't given her back her heart. He is still the one she loves, and will always love. She sobs, and she breaks down, pushing him away when he tries to hold her because she cannot handle the feeling of his arms around her, when she's about to get married. She can't handle being held by his strong, warm, protective, and loving arms, and then marry another man. A man she doesn't love. At least not the way that she loves Puck. She can never love anyone the way she loves Puck, but she's getting married tomorrow, and she has no choice. She can't do this to Finn. She can't hurt him by leaving him the day before their wedding.

She grabs one of the wedding invitations, and throws it in his face. After telling him to leave, she slams the door in his face, and she immediately collapsed onto the floor, and sobbed.

Two years later:

Quinn woke up to the familiar smell of coffee filling up the house. It's been two months since her and Finn's marriage annulment, and she was finally able to breathe. Quinn could hear her mom moving around downstairs making breakfast. The young blonde hopped out of her childhood bed, and pulled on her sweatpants over her shorts, before trudging into the bathroom to get ready for the day.

Her mother had been the one to be there when she sat in court, trying to annul her and Finn's marriage (If what the last year was, could even be called a marriage). All she and Finn did in the past year was fight, and argue, and hate each other. She had rebelled against their marriage, and she hated it. She hated the fact that she had sobbed like an idiot on the night after the wedding. She hated the fact that she married Finn out of guilt, and said "I do.", While she stared into Puck's sad, and tear-filled eyes. He had showed up at the wedding, and even when the Priest asked if there was anyone who would object to the wedding, Puck held his tongue, looking down at the floor the entire time. When she said "I do." She could see Puck's heart shattering right through his chest. Her own heart was no longer existing inside her own chest. Not when Puck was still the one who holds it in his hands. Not when she can't ever love anyone besides him. He left before the reception. He vanished again. But that time, he left a note.

I'm sorry for everything. I love you

-Puck

The note was delivered to her and Finn's little house, addressed to Quinn Hudson. She had cried for hours when she found it. She had cried herself to sleep every night when she was sure that Finn was asleep. For months, she had barely slept. Finn was suspicious of her when she always pulled away from him. They had never even consummated their marriage. That's what made the annulment so easy. The judge had agreed to the annulment when Quinn gave her that piece of information. So now, she was living in her mother's house again, and searching for Puck. She had already gone to all of his family members, his friends, and even the glee club members, but not one of them has seen hide nor hair of Noah Puckerman. Today, she was catching a flight to New York, to see Rachel Berry. She was the only one that Quinn hadn't spoken to. Though she doesn't think Rachel would know where Puck is, it was her last, and only option, and she can't afford to leave anyone out.

Four hours later:

Quinn tried to get some sleep on the plane, but the girl next to her kept talking to her.

"Hey did you see this new Senior designer for that Architecting Firm in New York? His name is Jacob Bucks, and he's the youngest designer they've ever had." the girl says while she ogles at the magazine in her hands.

Quinn shakes her head, not even bothering to look over at the magazine. She wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone.

"Well, he is H-O-T Gorgeous!" the girls squeals excitedly and Quinn resisted the urge to smack the girl in the face. After a few moments, Quinn drifted off to sleep, and the other girl smiles as she continues to stare at the picture of Jacob Bucks. "Oh I could just run my hands through that sexy Mohawk of his." She grins and leans back further into her seat.

Three Hours Later:

Quinn has no idea where Rachel lives, but she figured it couldn't be too hard to find someone like her. She was after all, a "Gold Star".

Quinn searched through the yellow pages of New York City's directory, and came up with only one address. It was from two and a half years ago, but it was something.

Quinn stood outside the fiscal address and stared at the white door. She wanted to turn back and go home because she can't believe she's about to ask Rachel Berry for her help, but this was her only lead at finding Puck. Her face was numb from the cold, so she reached up to knock but stopped. She can't do this. She should search elsewhere. Rachel can't possibly know where Puck is living.

She put her hand back down and continued to stand there staring at the door. A moment later, Quinn nearly jumped out of her skin when the door suddenly opened, revealing the one and only Rachel Berry in all her golden star glory. Still brunette, still short, and still looking exactly the same as she did when they last saw each other, at high school graduation.

"I was going to wait for you to knock or something, but it's really cold outside and I don't want to spend the rest of my life in guilt because I let you freeze to death on my doorstep." The brunette said bitterly.

Quinn blinked. Never in the history of this world has Rachel Berry ever talked like that to Quinn Fabray.

"Uhh-"

"Do come inside, I know you don't want to set foot inside my home, but at least it's warmer than my doorstep." The brunette turned on her heels and walked back into her house, leaving the door open as invitation.

Quinn stepped inside and looked around cautiously. The house looked pretty nice and welcoming.

She walked into the den, and sat down in an armchair. The living room was big and spacious, and there was a fireplace, so it felt really good to finally be able to warm up her frozen face.

A minute later, Rachel bustled into the room, with a tray, holding two mugs of hot chocolate, and set it down on the coffee table.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, Quinn warming her hands on her mug.

"So—how are you, Quinn?" Rachel asked flatly.

"I'm—I'm okay, I guess." Quinn shrugged and took a sip of the hot beverage before setting it down on the coffee table.

Rachel nodded, and silence took over yet again.

"Okay, since you're not saying anything, I'll go ahead and start… I know you're looking for Noah."

Quinn nearly choked on the air. How did she know that?... wait, one of the glee clubbers must've told her. Yeah, that's it.

"Finn came by two months ago." Rachel went on, "He told me about your marriage annulment and how he wanted me back, and I told him to go to hell."

Quinn blinked at that. "I'm sorry, what?" she asked incredulously.

"I told Finn to go to hell." Rachel confirmed what Quinn thought she had misheard.

Quinn sat there, not sure what to say about that, and Rachel continued, her tone getting bitter, and her voice getting louder.

"After Finn left, I knew it was only a matter of time before you showed up."

Quinn had no idea what to say about that.

"I _hated _the both of you." Rachel said bitterly.

Quinn was silent. Rachel must be angry at her for marrying Finn, who Rachel _was_ in love with.

"Was" being the keyword.

"If you think I hate you because you married Finn, then you're wrong." Rachel said heatedly.

Okay, maybe that's not why she's angry. But if that's not it, then why does she hate both me and Finn? I mean, me I get. I was terrible to her in high school, but Finn? She used to beam at him like he was her savior. What had she missed?

"What you did to Noah was terrible. He was fucked up for months!" Rachel bellowed. Quinn stared at her, her heart beating fast, and her stomach jumping up into her throat. Rachel knows where Puck is! But the brunette must be really angry at her because she had just sworn. Her vocabulary doesn't usually include swear words. Quinn wanted to cry out in joy. Finally someone who's heard from Puck! And why does Berry know where he is, anyway? All the questions in her head were answered a minute later.

"You know where he is?" Quinn asks frantically.

Rachel stares at her for a moment. "Do you have any idea what you did to him?" the brunette asks, completely ignoring the blonde's question.

Quinn doesn't say anything because she knows that she's hurt Puck a lot.

"Do you even know how damaged you left him?"

When Quinn hung her head sadly, Rachel scoffed loudly. "You probably don't even know about his reason for disappearing when he did, after Beth was born."

Quinn's head snapped up at that. "He left because he was hurt when I decided to give up Beth."

Rachel shakes her head. "You couldn't be more wrong…" she says. Quinn's brows furrow in confusion.

Rachel sighs and stares at the coffee table for a minute before finally speaking again.

"Noah will probably kill me for even telling you any of this, but I'm guessing you won't leave if I don't tell you?"

She asks to which Quinn nods in confirmation.

Rachel nodded before leaning forward on her elbows. "Noah never signed Beth's adoption papers."

Quinn's puzzled expression remained on her face. "W-what do you mean he didn't sign the adoption papers?" she asked shakily.

"I mean exactly that… he _never _signed the adoption papers… he wanted full custody over Beth because you didn't seem to want her, and so he followed the adoption agencies to Australia."

Quinn could _not _believe what Rachel was saying to her. She's joking, right?

"A rich couple in Australia had wanted to adopt Beth, and Noah fought the agencies in court. He transferred to Sydney Academy, and went to school there. He worked as a night janitor, and at an auto-shop, just to get by. He lived in a homeless shelter for two months, until he could afford to get his own apartment. The adoption agencies wouldn't let him have her because he's underage, unemployed, unable to provide or take care of her in his condition, and you had already signed the papers, so he really doesn't have that much power to fight them on taking Beth back. So he worked hard, went to school, and actually did his homework and schoolwork, so he could get a good job in the future to ensure that when he gets Beth back, he can be able to take care of her, and provide for her, and give her a good home… he stayed in Australia and refused to leave without Beth. He found his mother's long lost Brother Andy, and made him sign to be his legal guardian. He really did go above and beyond, so he could get his daughter back, and he _never _gave up once… and you know what?" Rachel pauses and a small smile makes its way up to her face.

"Five years later, he's majoring in Architectural Engineering, and is the youngest junior designer for Australia's largest and most successful Architecting Firms, and on top of that, he won the case, and got Beth back." Rachel sighed and leaned back into her seat.

"How—How come he never called or wrote to me then?" Quinn asked between her sobs.

"What would you have done if he told you that he was trying to bring Beth back, Quinn?" Rachel asks, and Quinn doesn't answer because she doesn't know what she would've done.

"Would you have supported him?... Would you have tried to help him? Or would you try to tell him that he's being crazy and stupid, and told him to stop and just come home?" Rachel knew that all those questions hit home for Quinn because she looked like she was about to pass out. So she softened up a bit, "Noah knew you wanted a closed adoption, and so he figured that you really wanted nothing to do with him, or his daughter… so _you_ tell me… Why would Noah call you to let you know that he's in Australia, fighting for the daughter that_ you_ gave up?"

Quinn shook her head, not knowing what to say. She had made it seem like she didn't want her beautiful baby, and she feels like such a terrible mother. All she ever wanted to do was keep her little girl, but she didn't think she could give her a good life. And yet, Puck was fighting for their little girl, and working hard to give her the life that she deserves. A good, healthy, and wealthy life. She silently wiped at her eyes.

"When Puck went back to find you, he planned on giving you the choice of becoming Beth's mother again, and you shot all of that to hell when you married Finn… after your marriage, he turned to me for help. He left Beth with _me _every single night so he could go drink and drown his sorrows." Rachel's voice shook and tears were evident in her eyes. "Every night, he would tell me a little bit of what he's been through for the past five years he went missing, every single night when he comes over, drunk off his ass, and puking his guts out, he would cry like a little kid, telling me over and over how he thinks he's a terrible father, until he passes out in his own vomit." Rachel paused to breathe, taking a deep breath before continuing.

"One day, he drops Beth off with me, and goes out..." she trails off as she tries to hold herself together, but her tears were already trailing down her cheeks. Quinn was silently crying, her nonexistent heart just throbbing painfully in her chest for the man that she had hurt so much. "He doesn't come home that night, and he doesn't show up all day the next day… and you know why?... because he was lying in the hospital, with a gaping hole in his stomach where some asshole had stabbed him."

Quinn gasped loudly at that, her eyes just refusing to stop overflowing with tears. She had no idea what Puck had been through… no idea that while she was at home thinking he's a selfish, lying, douchebag for leaving her when she needed him, he was in Australia, fighting to get Beth back, living in a homeless shelter, going to school in a private school, working his ass off, and trying his best to do what he knew was right. And she had treated him so terribly when he came back. Quinn tried not to sob too loudly, but she knew that it was a waste of time to even try. The tears kept coming, and her heart kept throbbing.

Rachel sighed and shook her head, "It was then that I lost my shit, and I told him that if he doesn't stop drinking, he may lose Beth. I went as far as threatening to tell social services that he was an alcoholic. He slowly, but surely pulled through, and slowly returned to normal. Now he's one of the most wonderful young father's I have ever met or seen for that matter… Beth can't sleep until Puck sings to her. Puck doesn't drink anymore, nor does he ever leave Beth for more than he has to. He's a senior designer at an Architecting Firm here in New York, as well as in Australia, London, and California. You probably have never heard of him because he doesn't go as Noah Puckerman in public. He's known as Jacob Bucks. Jacob was his grandfather's name and his own middle name, and Bucks was Beth's first word. We believe she was trying to say Puck… Beth herself is known as Beth Bucks in school, and everywhere else, though her birth certificate says Beth Lucy Puckerman… Puck may have been hurt by you, but he still middle-named his daughter after you."

Quinn went to speak, but was interrupted when they both heard the front door open and close.

"Rach, we're home!" Quinn's heart jumped out of her chest and lodged itself in her throat, making it impossible for her to swallow. She whirled around in shock, and surprise at the sound of his voice. There, standing in the doorway with a little girl with dark brown wavy hair in his arms, was Noah Puckerman.

-PQ-

CLIIIIIIIFF HANGAR, HANGING FROM A TREEEEEEEEE! AND THAT'S WHY IT'S CALLED CLIFF HANGER! I'm sorry for this terrible cliff hangar, but I kinda ran out of idea's and decided to let it stop here. I do promise to update soon. I'll be revealing what was going on in Puck's present life in the next chapter.

Hint: Puck will not be single in the next chapter, and don't worry. When I say he won't be single, I don't mean he's married. Just that he won't be celibate and lonely. (You can't make the world's hottest and most eligible bachelor be single) wink wink!… I know that it's a terrible thing to do to poor Quinn, but it won't turn out good if they immediately get back together. There has to be a good infliction of pain on both parts of the main characters… so bear with me… also, I have absolutely no idea how an adoption agency works, or if it's even legal for a seventeen year old to travel alone without a legal guardian's consent, but please just go with it. Humor me and just forget the fact that this story is absolutely unrealistic and extremely lacking in facts… so thank you for reading, and please review!


	2. Chapter 2

Title: To Hurt And To Heal

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING of this world.

Author's Note: Hey everybody! First off, I want to thank each and every one of you for reading this story. I can't quite tell you how much I appreciate it. And I want to thank the reviewers as well. I love you for doing so. This story won't always be full of angst and pain, and hurt and all that sad crap… don't worry, it will eventually be a happy one, and we'll all get to read a good Quick- Beth reunion, so bear with me… Thanks again for reading, and please review if you have time.

Chapter Two:

Quinn stands rooted in place, staring in disbelief at the two people in front of her, like a fish out of water.

She's completely immobile, just staring speechlessly at the two people she loves most in this world. Her eyes roam over Puck for a minute before flickering to the little girl in his arms. Puck's expression is blank as he stares open mouthed at Quinn, not knowing what to do.

"What is _she_ doing here?" Puck asked Rachel angrily.

Before Rachel could answer, the little girl spoke, and Quinn just felt her heart expand, "Daddy, who's that?" her little voice asked curiously.

Quinn's eyes roamed the little girl's face. Green eyes like her own, his nose, her lips, and _his _hair. She's so beautiful. She still resembled Puck in every way, and she was so big now. Quinn's eyes filled with tears as she stared at the two. The two people she loved more than anything in the world were standing right in front of her, like she's dreamed so many times before.

Puck looked down at the little girl before looking back up at Quinn whose jaw was still on the floor. "Baby, why don't you go upstairs and play with your new dollhouse?" Puck told the little girl as he slowly lowered her to the floor, her face lighting up like fireworks as she immediately nodded and ran up the stairs to the left.

The three adults stood still in the den, in an awkward silence.

"What are you doing here, Quinn?" Puck asked her, his voice leaking with anger.

"I—I came to find you." Quinn stammered. She had no idea how to think. She doesn't know what the hell was going on with her brain.

"I'll be upstairs." Rachel murmured softly before disappearing up the stairwell.

"Puck-," Quinn began to say, but was cut off by Puck when he turned on his heels and walked into the kitchen. Quinn followed him silently, her heart breaking in her chest because now that she's actually seeing him with her own two eyes, and standing in the same building with him, everything she's ever rehearsed and practiced for days to say to him, was shot to hell the moment she saw him again.

He still looked the same as he did when she last saw him, but somehow he looked different. He was even more built than before, his biceps flexing as he folded his arms across his chest. He filled out impressively, and his Mohawk was as short as ever. Nearly cropped off, but still a tad bit visible.

"What do you want, Quinn?" Puck asked, breaking Quinn away from her non-existent thoughts.

"I—I came to find you." she said stupidly.

Puck scoffed. "Why?" he asked bitterly. "You just suddenly thought you'd come and find me?... because I don't think I want to be found by you." he said sharply. "There's a reason why no one in Lima, or anywhere else knows where the fuck I am. I don't want to be found, Quinn."

Quinn understood his anger. As a matter of fact, she was kind of surprised that he hadn't tried to kick her out yet.

"I'm sorry." Quinn whispers, to which Puck laughs humorlessly.

"You're sorry" he states flatly. "... what the hell are you sorry for, Quinn?"

"For a lot of things!" she cries.

"Well sorry doesn't change shit!" Puck yells angrily. He continues before Quinn could tell him that she already knows that sorry doesn't change anything.

"Sorry doesn't erase the pain of watching you marry Finn…" his voice suddenly turning soft. "Sorry doesn't bring back all the months I wasted away, drowning my sorrows in Alcohol… Sorry doesn't change the fact that you chose Finn over me like you always do, and broke my heart… so tell me, Quinn… What are you sorry for?" Puck breathes softly and he could feel the tears stinging in his eyes.

Quinn shakes her head as the tears keep building up in her eyes, "Everything." She says because she really is sorry for everything that has happened between them. "I'm sorry for judging you. I'm sorry for giving our daughter away, I'm sorry for being stupid and marrying Finn out of guilt, I'm sorry for breaking your heart, and I'm especially sorry for not telling you how much I love you." Quinn was sure her eyes would be puffy and swollen after this, but she doesn't care, and she can't stop herself from crying. She had regretted so much of the past year, wishing so badly that she could return to that night when Puck had showed up at her doorstep, and have him ask to be with him again.

She knows what her answer should have been. She should have jumped up out of her doorway and into his arms. She should've kissed him, and hugged him, and refused to let him go.

But all of that was too late… She has to deal with _this _instead.

The next words out of Puck's mouth shock's Quinn, and for a while she just stands there, not exactly sure if he was kidding, or that she had misheard him.

"I'm engaged, Quinn." He said again.

Quinn tensed, her heart dropping to her feet, her stomach churning painfully in her gut, her lungs burning from the lack of air, and her head spinning.

_He can't. He can't be engaged. Who is he engaged to? Is he engaged to Rachel?_ Quinn doesn't remember seeing a ring on Rachel's finger.

Her eyes flickered to his left hand, and sure enough there was a gold band around his ring finger. Tears prickled in her eyes again as the bile rose up in her throat. She felt sick to her stomach and the thought of dying seemed like the best idea she's ever had in that moment.

Puck's eyes turn sad as he stares at her. "When you married Finn, I—I didn't know if I could ever fill the void in my chest… I honestly thought that I'd die or something. I drank every night and went out at night when I was sure that Beth was safe with Rachel. I was drunk _every_ night for months."

Quinn was still speechless after his little engagement announcement, and she can't hold back the few tears that escaped, trailing down her cheeks. She really wants to get out of there and run as far as she can, but her legs were not cooperating.

Puck continues, "One night I get into a bar fight and I get stabbed. I was rushed to the hospital by a stranger. She held my hand and told me that I would be okay… she made sure that I would live. She visited me everyday when I was in the hospital, and she slowly got me back onto my feet. I was able to stop drinking because of Beth and Rachel, but _she_ helped me in so many ways…" Puck trailed off as he stared down at the floor.

He looked back up at Quinn and stared at her sadly as she continued to stand there, immobile, sad, and heartbroken.

"She saved me, Quinn."

Quinn didn't say anything. This girl he's engaged to already sounds like a great person, and she could only nod. After a few moments of complete silence in which they just stood there staring at each other, Quinn finally found her voice and stammered out, "I—I umm, I'm gonna go now." She managed through her shaky voice, turned on her heels and headed for the door.

Puck followed her out the door, calling her name as she started running away down the streets. He chased after her, calling for her to stop, but she kept running, not able to stop her sobs as she continued to speed down the streets.

Puck sped up, his legs working double time to run in front of her. He managed to speed ahead of her and turned around, Quinn halted in her steps and fell into his chest.

He caught her in his arms and held her like he used to do when she was pregnant with Beth. She sobbed into his shirt and beat on his chest with her fists, just crying her heart out. She cried and continued to cry, still beating his chest with her fists, but he doesn't let go, and she doesn't want him to.

He held her close, whispering sweet nothings into her hair as she slowly calmed down. When she pulled away to look at him, she noticed that his eyes are glistening with unshed tears. Her heart throbbed painfully in her chest. "You can't marry her." she whispered.

Puck looked away and stared at the passing cars on the street. "Puck, you can't marry someone you don't love." She knew how hypocritical she sounded at that moment, but she's been through enough shit with Finn, to know that marrying someone you don't love is just one giant argument waiting to happen. Puck sighed softly and looked back at Quinn. "I know… that's why I'm marrying her."

Quinn can't take it anymore. She pushed him away from her and backed away before turning on her heels and walking back to the house. She remembered just a moment ago, that she had just ran away without her purse and stuff, and she needed to go back for it.

As soon as she entered the house, she stopped abruptly at the sight of the little girl before her. She's completely frozen into place as she watched in awe, while the little girl continued playing with her dolls, not noticing her.

The sound of her gasp finally caught the little girls attention, and Quinn watched as the little girl stood up slowly, eyes still trained on her. "Aunt Rachel said that you're daddy's friend."

Quinn blinked rapidly as she tried to process what the little girl was saying. She nodded hurriedly. "Y-Yeah… your daddy and I were really good friends."

"But you're not anymore?"

Quinn looked down at her feet, feeling sad. "I—I umm—made some bad decisions. Choices that should've included your daddy, but I didn't let him because I wanted what was best for y—," Quinn caught herself mid-sentence. "Umm—for everyone."

The little blonde girl looked utterly confused. "Daddy doesn't have many friends… I think he's sad."

Quinn sniffled a bit as she looked around for any signs of Rachel. None.

"Why do you think your daddy's sad?"

The little girl shrugged, "I think it's my mommy."

Quinn is caught off-guard by that, and it takes a moment for her to respond. "What makes you say that?" she asked curiously.

"I don't know… Daddy always talked about his old friends, but whenever I ask him about my mommy, he always says, mommy is happy now. But I think he's wrong because mommies love their babies, and my mommy loves my daddy very much."

Quinn nodded, tears flooding her eyes for the thousandth time that day. "Yes… Your mommy loves you and your daddy very much. She will always love you two."

The little girl smiled widely. "Daddy says I shouldn't talk to strangers, but Aunt Rachel said that I can talk to you if I want."

Quinn nodded happily. She heard the stairs creak, and a moment later, Rachel emerged with a couple of clothe.

"Do you want to spend the night?" Rachel asked.

Quinn smiled gratefully, but declined politely. "I think I'll just check in at a nearby hotel."

Rachel nodded and stared at the little girl between them, who had gone back to playing with her dollhouse.

"Bee, say goodbye to Ms. Quinn."

Beth looked up again and smiled widely at Quinn, who's heart soared higher than ever.

"Bye, Ms. Quinn." Beth waved cheerfully.

Quinn couldn't help it. She moved forward a bit, and bent down so she was eyelevel with Beth. "Beth, I want you to know that I'll always be your daddy's friend, and that I love the both of you, okay?"

Beth nodded. "If you love me and daddy, will you come back to visit again?" she asked hopefully.

Quinn couldn't resist this, "Of course I will." Quinn leaned up and pressed a kiss against Beth's warm forehead, before pulling herself forcefully away and heading for the door. She turned back and waved once more at Beth and a silent Rachel.

She stopped abruptly by the door when she saw Puck standing there, looking at her sadly. She wondered if he was standing there the whole time. "You can stay here if you want." He said softly.

Quinn shook her head. "I think it'll be best for everyone if I just stay away for tonight."

Puck nodded silently, but his face showed sadness.

"I umm—," Quinn started. "Can I visit her tomorrow?" she said looking back at the little girl still playing with her dolls.

Puck nodded immediately. "You can visit her whenever you want. Back in high school, you let me be there when she was born. It wouldn't be fair if I didn't allow you to see her."

Quinn nodded thankfully. She wanted to throw her arms around him and hug him, but refrained from doing so.

"I'll see you tomorrow then?"

Puck nodded. "Yeah."

They said their short goodnights before going their separate ways.

-PQ-

…

Author's Note: I apologize for this late late late late LATE update. It's been hectic here in Lincoln, and I'm just about ready to pull the rest of my hair out from all the stress from school and work. I hope you kinda liked this chapter. It's not exactly what I had in mind, but I really wanted to update it for the sake of the readers who wanted to see what's next. I promise to update soon. Next chapter will be a bit more interesting because Puck's fiancée will be present there. There will be lots of tension and awkwardness, and swearing… maybe. But aside from that, it'll end well. At least I hope you'll all like the next chapter. I know that the angst and argument ended too soon, and Puck shouldn't have forgiven Quinn too soon, but a certain little girl is present, and we have to keep in mind that Puck is now thinking for two. Himself, and his daughter. So, that'll be enough explanation as to why the argument ended so fast, but the real reason to that is that I had to end this chapter faster because I'm going to be super busy for a while, and I wanted to update this story before school and work gets in the way of everything else going on in my life. Thanks again for reading, and please review!


End file.
